Wednesday, September 20th, 2023

Dear Friend,

At our Board of Supervisors meeting last week, we passed a proclamation making September Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide is preventable and can affect anyone regardless of race, skin color, age, and economic or social status. As I shared last week, September is also National Preparedness Month and I've been sharing resources on my social media accounts.

Next week, I am sponsoring a Military Families Welcome Week Event by partnering with the DC Blue Star Families Chapter. Each year our military families move to new bases all over the world and this is one small way to help welcome them to our community.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact my office.

Email: Franconia@fairfaxcounty.gov

Phone 703-971-6262

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Table of Contents

Welcome to our Newest Staff Member
Blue Star Families Military Families Welcome Event 9/28
Fort Belvoir's Oktoberfest 9/28-10/1
African Heritage Early Literacy Program
Suicide Prevention Month Resources
Emergency Preparedness Survey
Early Voting Begins 9/22

Out and About in Franconia

Stock the Block at Hybla Valley Community Center Event
Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month

The 25th Annual Oktoberfest will be held September 28 - October 1, 2023!

Fort Belvoir’s Family and MWR hosts one of the most anticipated events of the year: the 25th annual Oktoberfest. Located at Fremont Field on Fort Belvoir, Oktoberfest is a four-day festival that highlights authentic German cuisine, beverages, music, and dancing.

Enjoy an exciting carnival, Volksmarch 5K/10K Walk and much more. This is a fun-filled event geared toward the whole family! Learn more here.

The African Heritage Early Literacy program will begin fall classes October 10^th at Cameron Elementary School and virtually. The Program is a free, interactive program where parents, grandparent or family members and child learn activities and strategies that readies the child for kindergarten and future school success. Click here for more information about the program including locations and how to register.

Suicide Prevention Resources

· 9-8-8, the 24/7 Suicide and Crisis Hotline, is available via text or call

· Calling CSB Emergency Services at (703) 573-5679

· Texting "CONNECT" to 855-11 to contact PRS CrisisLink

· Calling PRS CrisisLink at (703) 527-4077

· ConnerStrong Foundation

· The Trevor Project (specific to LGBTQIA+ Youth)

· Trans Lifeline (877) 565-8860 (specific to Trans callers)

· In an immediate, life-threatening situation, call 9-1-1

The Community Services Board also has a suicide prevention information and resources website with information on their Mental Health First Aid Classes, and specific resources for veterans, members of the military and their families, Fairfax County Public Schools students, and older adults. Read more about Fairfax County resources here .

Fairfax County is launching the 2023 Emergency Preparedness Survey to assess the culture of personal disaster preparedness and resilience in Fairfax County. How prepared are you? Survey link:

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/fd34b75072184e5daf72eb338421b3b9?portalUrl=https://Fairfaxcountygis.maps.arcgis.com

Early voting begins Friday, Sept. 22 for the Nov. 7 general election.

Local and state offices are on the ballot:

Board of Supervisors (Chairman and all districts)
School Board (At Large and all districts)
Commonwealth’s Attorney
Sheriff
Virginia House of Delegates and Senate (All districts)
Clerk of the Court
Towns of Clifton and Vienna (Mayor and Town Council)
Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District

There is also a $435 million public school bond on the ballot. If approved, the public schools’ plans include using this money to plan and design, renovate and build schools.

EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS

Three locations will be open for early voting on weekdays starting Sept. 22:

Fairfax County Government Center: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Mount Vernon Governmental Center: 1 to 7 p.m.
North County Governmental Center: 1 to 7 p.m.

Before going to vote, please double check the hours early voting sites are open because times vary by location.

Any registered voter can cast their ballot at any early voting site. The last day to vote early is Saturday, Nov. 4, at 5 p.m.

Early Voting Begins Sept. 22 for the Nov. 7 General Election | News Center (fairfaxcounty.gov)

Out and About

Close to 1,000 families received specially packed boxes filled with essential supplies, food and toys during the “Stock the Block” event at the Hybla Valley Community Center this weekend. Thank you Good360, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Lazera Ministries, United Community, Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, and all of the community volunteers. Toys for Tots donated over 10,000 toys and each child received two toys. Great to see families getting updated flu and covid vaccinations, as well. I want to thank everyone who was involved and the over 200 young adult volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for their service to our community.

Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month

This weekend, I was proud to celebrate Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month at the Hybla Valley Community Center. We were honored to welcome Rafael Laveago, the Consul of Mexico for Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia and Congressman Don Beyer. I want to say thank you to Carla Claure, Maritza Zermeno, and Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services for all your work in putting this first of its kind event together for the community.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT (ICYMI)

Fairfax County ignites plan to crack down on illegal fireworks use | FFXnow

Between July 1 and 4, the police department received 60 calls of service related to fireworks displays in the Franconia District station alone. Just on July 4, county firefighters responded to 12 fires, “almost all of which were certainly related to fireworks,” Lusk said.

Staff will now work on drafting language for an ordinance that will be considered by the board before the end of the first quarter of 2024. A renewed interagency public awareness campaign on fireworks rules and safety is also planned.

The MCCP Dental Van will be offering free screenings for children 3-19 at the Springfield Masonic Lodge, 7001 Backlick Rd, Springfield, VA, on September 23rd. First come first serve - no registration needed.

Healthy Together Fairfax (HTF) will now be held on Sunday, September 24, 2023, from 12 to 3 p.m. at Franconia Park (6601 Telegraph Rd, Alexandria, VA 22310).

HTF is a fun (and FREE) interactive event for the community focused on healthy and active living. The event includes free health screenings, access to community services and resources, fitness classes, hands-on activities, and ‘bite-sized’ learning for all ages. Participants can also explore the trails and playgrounds at Franconia Park and enjoy a ride on the carousel.

HTF is produced by The Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax, in collaboration with Evans Consulting, First Aid, CPR, & Training Services (FACTS), and PoP Health, and hosted in collaboration with the Fairfax County Park Authority. For more information, please visit www.healthytogetherfairfax.com. If you have any questions, please reach out to healthytogetherfairfax@gmail.com.

Things to do this September in Fairfax County

The most colorful season of the year kicks off this September in Northern Virginia! With changing leaves and autumn breeze comes beer-forward Oktoberfests, scenic adventures, spooky activities, fabulous festivals, exciting performances, and more.

Here’s your go-to guide for enjoying September in Fairfax County.

High School Students - Call for Volunteer Election Pages

Are you a high school student who wants to get engaged in elections? We need students ages 16 or older to serve as pages at polling places on Tuesday, Nov. 7. You'll make a real difference for our democracy. Apply by Sept. 29:

Elections Officers Needed for the General Election November 7th

Fairfax County Office needs election officers for the November 7^th General Election and the 2024 elections. Compensation begins at $250 and training is provided online and in-person for new officers. More information on serving as a Fairfax County election officer can be found here. Apply today.

There is also a need for bilingual Virginia voters who speak Vietnamese and English or Korean and English to serve in the Annandale, Centreville, Chantilly, and Falls Church areas. To serve as a designated bilingual election officer, you must also complete a short oral language skills assessment. More information on serving as a language election officer can be found here.

Kingstowne Farmers Market

The Franconia District farmers market takes place at Kingstowne Farmers Market. Open until October 27th from 3 to 7 pm on Fridays.

The address for the Farmers Market is:

5844-5862 Kingstowne Center

Alexandria, VA, 22315

FREE Immunization Clinics for Children

Fairfax County Health Department is offering FREE immunization clinics for children. This program began August 1.

For more information and appointments visit here.

Senior Cool Care Program

Are you in need of additional cooling during the summer?

The Senior Cool Care Program is a public-private partnership sponsored by Dominion Energy and administered by the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services through the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging that helps low-income older citizens in our jurisdiction keep cool during summer months.

The program runs May 1 through October 31, 2023. This program does not provide financial assistance, but it provides additional cooling at home, such as fans, for eligible older adults, age 60 and older.

If you are interested in learning more about the program, please contact the Aging, Disability & Caregiver Resource Line: 703-324-7948.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Rodney L. Lusk

Franconia District Supervisor

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